If you want to write the next
best-selling children’s books or
just want to create stories for your own kids, this workshop is for you. Learn
how to write stories kids and young adults will love and find out what you need
to know to sell your book.

Special option:You
may, but don't have to, bring 2 or 3 copies of the opening couple pages (first
500 words) of your children’s book or young adult novel (or 1,000 words if that
will get you to the end of your picture book or to the end of your first
chapter.) If you’re not currently working on a children’s story, don’t worry,
we’ll get you started on the spot!

Workshop leader Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing
instructor for more than 25 years. He teaches at Ryerson University and has led
workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Saint John. He
publishes Quick Brown Fox,Canada’s most popular blog for writers and is the
author of a children’s version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Tribute
Publishing Inc). But his proudest boast is that he’s has helped many
of his students get published.See
reviews of Brian's classes and workshops here.

Guest speaker Yasemin Uçaris a Senior
Editor at Kids Can Press. Yasemin has been a children’s book editor for close
to twenty years. She worked at Scholastic Canada before moving to London, UK,
in 2001, where she worked as a Senior Editor at Piccadilly Press. In 2006, she
moved back to Toronto and worked as a freelance editor for a number of years
before joining Kids Can Press in 2012.

Yasemin has worked with many popular and
award-winning authors and illustrators, including internationally bestselling
author Louise Rennison, Ashley Spires, Barbara Coloroso and Caroline Adderson.

Guest speakerJennifer Mook-Sanggrew up on the shores of tropical Guyana and
moved to Canada when she was fourteen. She lived an ordinary life in search of
treasure until she found the beginnings of a story in one
of Brian Henry's classes. That story grew into the humorous
middle-grade novelSpeechless,published by Scholastic in 2015.

Speechless was
shortlisted for many awards, and recommended by the Ontario Library
Association, the Canadian Childrens’ Book Centre, the CBC, and the TD Summer
Reading Club.

Her picture bookCaptain Monty Takes the Plunge will be released in
the fall of 2017 by Kids Can Press.

Jennifer enjoys visiting schools and libraries to
talk about the three RRRs - Reading, wRiting and procRastination. She loves
sunshine and sand and, though quite fond of the letter “R,” her favourite
letter has always been “the C.” Jennifer lives in Burlington, Ontario. You can
find out more about her at http://jennifermooksang.com/.Speechless is available online here.

Brian Henry has been a book editor, writer, and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He teaches creative writing at Ryerson University. He also leads weekly creative writing courses in Burlington, Mississauga, Oakville and Georgetown and conducts Saturday workshops throughout Ontario. His proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.